Death in Daytime

Real-life soap actress Eileen Davidson brings a bland realism to her simplistic mystery series debut. When soap star Alexis Peterson discovers the body of a hated head writer, all suspicion is focused on her. Knowing her own innocence, she sets about trying to discover whodunit while avoiding harassment by the police, until the killer decides to come after her. Davidson throws in enough red herrings to keep readers guessing, but Peterson is a dry, self-centered protagonist with unclear motives and relationships. Her ostensible love triangle suggests uncertainty more on the author’s part than the heroine’s. The police are too nice to Peterson and she has no real conflict, especially with the mandatory gay best friend to give her perfect advice. Davidson’s familiar name on the cover is the only thing that makes this mystery anything other than run-of-the-mill. (Oct.)